EXCLUSIVE: Choupette Stars in Hublot’s Campaign Celebrating Big Bang’s 20th Anniversary

MEW O’CLOCK: Any brand would tell you their latest ambassador is the cat’s meow, but Hublot has tapped the purr-fect one: Choupette.

The blue-eyed Birman, who was Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved pet, is the star of the Swiss watchmaker’s campaign released Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of its Big Bang collection.

In the campaign shot by Dutch photographer Carlijn Jacobs, Choupette is cradled in the arms of a figure sporting fingerless leather gloves and the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic model in a reminder of the close relationship between the famous feline and the late couturier.

There are behind-the-scenes moments, too.

One sees Choupette gazing intensely at the viewer, lounging on crimson silk with a Champagne coupe full of milk in the background and the red watch in the foreground.

A short clip released on social media figures a fashion-typical model on a solid gray background — with a surreal touch. Where the human model’s head should be is Choupette peeking out of a peacoat and scarf neckline, her eyes drawn toward the red Hublot timepiece on the human’s hand. She eventually leaps down, leaving her “body” behind.

If having a model with no wrist — and no use for a timepiece — seems like an odd choice for a watchmaker, the famously spirited feline is a fit for Hublot.

“Choupette embodies the unapologetic spirit that Hublot embodies,” Hublot chief executive officer Julien Tornare told WWD exclusively. “Her cultural impact stems from her passionate singularity and bold authenticity, qualities that resonate with the Hublot way of life.”

More than a campaign, her presence is “about celebrating the audacity to be different, the courage to defy convention, in other words, the Hublot ‘Revolutionary Mindset,’” he continued.

Hence the introduction of a new “Own It” tag line, as part of the celebration of the Big Bang’s 20th anniversary.

Launched in 2005, the initial model received the Best Design award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, considered the Oscars of the watchmaking world.

It was “a revolution in watchmaking, a perfect union of tradition and modernity,” Tornare said.

“While remaining rooted in the values of luxury watchmaking, such as artisanal quality and attention to detail, Hublot has managed to position the Big Bang as a disruptor within an industry that has traditionally seen little design innovation,” the executive continued. “This is what sets us apart.”

Further images in the campaign will be released later in May. One will showcase the zingy Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon Saxem on the wrist of “a chic mysterious lady in a statement faux-fur coat,” while the sculpted wrist of an athlete will showcase the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Titanium Ceramic for another shot.

The campaign is set to break on Friday on Hublot’s website, social media channels as well as on billboards plus print and digital media globally.